Brainy Thing: Knitting and the Need for Novelty

Margaret speculates that one of the many reasons we cast on a new project before we’re finished the one we’re working on is for the human need for novelty. She discusses some of issues of novelty and how they relate the knitting. Keith Hillman of Psychology24 has some interesting posts on this topic and other brain related ones.

Behind the Redwood Curtain

A Knitting Tip

Margaret recommends trying different yarns and suggests that they (like the Hemp she was trying out) might require different tensions and yarn holding techniques

A Little Podcast Business

The incentive to join the Teaching Your Brain to Knit Podcast Group on Ravelry continues for each new 100 members. The current incentive prize for members 101 to 200 is a skein of Venezia sport weight 70/30 merino/silk yarn by Cascade. Beginning with member 201, the prize is the Canon Hand Dyes skein in 80/20 merino/nylon sock yarn.

Incentive for second 100 members who sign up in the group. The color is a little more green.

Welcome to Episode 15: Knitting, Meditation, and Changing Your Brain for the better

Brainy Stuff: 14:05

Behind the Redwood Curtain: 28:20

What We’re Learning from Our Knitting and Crochet:

Catherine is still persisting with her Meadowlark Shibori Jacket by Gina Wilde. The beautiful Alchemy yarn requires some attention. She also found a new pattern to work on — the Clapo-ktus by Loredana Gianferri. She’s knitting it with Goth Sock.

It’s a mix between the clapotis and the Baktus patterns and it’s free on Ravelry.

Catherine’s Clapo-Ktus

Margaret created a drop stitch scarf (her own free-style design) out of Sari Silk Handspun. Although she describes the yarn as being plied, what she meant that the yarn was twisted. She mentions that a long while ago, she saw a drop-stitch scarf on Knitting Help.com

Brainy Stuff

Amygdala — less grey matter here means a person is less reactive

Catherine reports on research that shows that the grey matter of the brain — that part of the functioning brain cells — actually increases when a person meditates. She mentions an article printed in the Harvard Gazette that features the research of Dr. Sarah Lazar of Massachusetts General Hospital. Lazar’s Ted Talk on the topic iseasy to understand and has with lots of diagrams. Drawing on prior research (reported in earlier podcasts) that shows that knitting produces meditation-like brain waves, Catherine hypothesizes that knitting would then also increase grey matter. There’s no specific research that supports that link yet, but we hope scientists explore it soon. She concludes with a report on a program called Knitting Behind Bars started by Lynn Zwerling for prisoners at Jessup prison in Maryland.

Behind the Redwood Curtain

Margaret talks a little about the logging history of redwoods. When a redwood is cut down, smaller “sprouts” grow out of the stump (if they are not suppressed by herbicides). Check out the National Geographic Article on the Redwoods.

Many “sprouts” coming up from a cut redwood planted too close to Margaret’s house which undisturbed would turn into the following photo.

The “sprouts” have grown up in this tree. Second Growth Redwoods. near Orick, CA

A Knitting Tip

Catherine reminds us to to change up the needle size of different projects we have going at the same time to help promote good ergonomics and hand health.

A little podcast business.

The incentive to sign up in our Ravelry group for the second one hundred members is a skein of Venezia Sport –70% merino

Incentive for second 100 members who sign up in the group. The color is a little more green.